47 CFR 64.1510 - Billing and collection of pay-per-call and similar service charges.

Beta! The text on the eCFR tab represents the unofficial eCFR text at ecfr.gov.

§ 64.1510 Billing and collection of pay-per-call and similar service charges.

(a) Any common carrier assigning a telephone number to a provider of interstate pay-per-call services and offering billing and collection services to such provider shall:

(1) Ensure that a subscriber is not billed for interstate pay-per-call services that such carrier knows or reasonably should know were provided in violation of the regulations set forth in this subpart or prescribed by the Federal Trade Commission pursuant to titles II or III of the TDDRA or any other federal law;

(2) In any billing to telephone subscribers that includes charges for any interstate pay-per-call service:

(i) Include a statement indicating that:

(A) Such charges are for non-communications services;

(B) Neither local nor long distances services can be disconnected for non-payment although an information provider may employ private entities to seek to collect such charges;

(ii) Display any charges for pay-per-call services in a part of the bill that is identified as not being related to local and long distance telephone charges;

(iii) Specify, for each pay-per-call charge made, the type of service, the amount of the charge, and the date, time, and, for calls billed on a time-sensitive basis, the duration of the call; and

(iv) Identify the local or toll-free number established in accordance with § 64.1509(b)(1).

(b) Any common carrier offering billing and collection services to an entity providing interstate information services on a collect basis shall, to the extent possible, display the billing information in the manner described in paragraphs (a)(2)(i), (A), (B), (D) and (a)(2)(ii) of this section.

(c) If a subscriber elects, pursuant to § 64.1504(c)(1)(vi), to pay by means of a phone bill for any information service provided by through any 800 telephone number, or other telephone number advertised or widely understood to be toll-free, the phone bill shall:

(1) Include, in prominent type, the following disclaimer: “Common carriers may not disconnect local or long distance telephone service for failure to pay disputed charges for information services;” and

Comments on the section entitled VRS Compensation Rates (paragraphs 1-9) are due on or before December 9, 2015, and reply comments are due on or before December 24, 2015. Comments on the section entitled VRS Improvements (paragraphs 10-25) are due on or before January 4, 2016, and reply comments are due on or before February 1, 2016.

47 CFR Part 64

Summary

In this document, the Commission proposes to amend its rules to modify its current four-year compensation rate plan for Video Relay Service (VRS), adopted in 2013, by adopting a limited-duration compensation rate freeze applicable to VRS providers with 500,000 or fewer monthly minutes, and solicits comment on whether to adopt a number of service quality measures that could enhance the functional equivalence of VRS.

The Commission affirms and further clarifies the requirements of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA), focusing on consumers' rights to stop unwanted robocalls, including both voice calls and text messages. The Commission acted in an Omnibus Declaratory Ruling and Order (Omnibus Order) in response to 21 petitions for rulemaking, clarification, or other action regarding the TCPA or the Commission's rules and orders. In addition to denying one petition for rulemaking and dismissing another petition for rulemaking, the Omnibus Order took a number of actions, including clarifying when certain conduct violates the TCPA and providing guidance intended to assist callers in avoiding violations and consequent litigation.